What I've Been Reading: Five Favorite Books of 2020

From "The Blue House" by Phoebe Wahl

2020 isn't quite over, but I figured this was as good a time as any to briefly call out five books that shook me up, made me think, and brought beauty to my life this year. I highly recommend every single one of these! (And I've included links in case anyone on your Christmas list needs one of them!

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson

I'm still working my way through this one, but I can already say that I highly, highly recommend it! It's a collection of essays by women in the climate movement: architects, youth protestors, politicians, Indigenous thinkers, scientists, analysts, social justice activists, reporters, farmers, and more. They each bring their perspective to the table in what we can do to face the climate crisis, whether that's political action, cultural change, mutual aid, or becoming better storytellers. The essays are interspersed with drawings by one of my favorite artists, Madeleine Jubilee Saito, as well as thought-provoking quotes and poetry.

So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo

If you're a white person who feels like you want to understand racial issues but are overwhelmed by the amount of information out there, this is the perfect place to start. It is a series of short chapters on various topics, each one beginning with a story and transitioning into an analysis of the topic and how it affects people. Some topics include, "Why shouldn't white people touch Black people's hair?", "What is systemic racism?", "Why do Black people's experience of the police differ so much from white people's?", "What is the 'model minority' myth?" and more. Obviously Oluo is just one person, and there are a huge diversity of perspectives on these topics, this is just a jumping-off point, but it's a great place to start!

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Part memoir, part analysis of systemic racism and all its facets, this book is a masterpiece. Coates writes in a way that gets under your skin and into your lungs, one that shakes up your world and makes you unable to see things the same way again. It's not an easy read because of its intensity, but it's well worth it. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

This modern fairy tale is absolutely heartwarming, and just what I needed this year! It follows a middle-aged social worker in charge of checking in on some Magical Youth who are considered a danger to society… and what he learns about love and family along the way. Both poignant and funny, it's a perfect escape.

The Blue House by Phoebe Wahl

It's been a long time since I read a new picture book, but I recently discovered Phoebe Wahl's art and decided to check out her latest book. Her mixed-media illustrations are so beautiful they make me cry, and the story of a dad and his son trying to adapt to the uncertainty of gentrification really resonated with me. Highly recommended for the illustrations alone, but the story is wonderful, too.

What were your favorite books this year?

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